Secretary Raimondo Appoints Eleven Prominent Leaders to the FirstNet Authority Board

Today, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo announced the appointment of eleven public safety, technology, and business leaders to the Board of the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet Authority) and the selection of a new Board Chair.

The Board now reaches a full complement, with 12 non-permanent members selected by the Department of Commerce and three permanent seats occupied by the U.S. Attorney General, the Secretary of Homeland Security, and the Director of the Office of Management and Budget. The Board oversees activities to ensure that the FirstNet Authority and AT&T—its commercial partner—develop, build, and operate a nationwide public safety broadband network that will best equip first responders to save lives and protect local communities.

“I am pleased to appoint these experienced and highly qualified members to the FirstNet Authority Board to ensure this program continues to enhance public safety response with a world-class communications network,” said Secretary Raimondo. “They demonstrate a commitment to the mission and vision of FirstNet and to the safety of our communities. Their diverse backgrounds and experiences, working with the FirstNet Authority CEO, will provide leadership for the public safety broadband network.”

Secretary Raimondo selected seven new members to the FirstNet Authority Board for three-year terms:

Michael Adkinson, Santa Rosa Beach, Florida. Sheriff, Walton County, Florida and member of the Board of Directors for the National Sheriff’s Association.

Keisha Lance Bottoms, Atlanta, Georgia. Former Mayor of Atlanta; former Senior Advisor to President Joe Biden; and currently the CEO of KRLB, LLC.

Damon Darsey, Ridgeland, Mississippi. Emergency medicine and EMS Physician; Medical Director for the Mississippi Department of Public Safety; former tenured Associate Professor in Emergency Medicine and Pediatrics at the University of Mississippi; and member of the National Association of State EMS Officials and the National EMS Physicians Association.

Erik Gaull, Cabin John, Maryland. President of the International Association of Emergency Managers Region III; technology expert and consultant specializing in public safety, emergency management, counterterrorism/homeland security, organizational resilience, and enterprise risk management; Reserve Officer of the D.C Metropolitan Police Department; and member of the Cabin John Park, Maryland Volunteer Fire Department.

Jeffrey Norman, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Chief of Police, Milwaukee Police Department; member of the Major City Chiefs; and member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police.

Rasheid Scarlett, Coral Gables, Florida. Information technology executive and CEO of NetAesthetics.

Trisha Wolford, Annapolis, Maryland. Fire Chief of Anne Arundel County, Maryland; first Vice President of the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC); and Treasurer for the IAFC’s Metropolitan Fire Chiefs Section Executive Board.

In addition, Secretary Raimondo reappointed four Board members to serve a new three-year term:

Alexandra Fernandez Navarro, San Juan, Puerto Rico. Telecommunications attorney; former commissioner, Puerto Rico Public Service Regulatory Board; former member of the FCC Intergovernmental Advisory Committee; and former member of the NTIA State Broadband Leaders Network.

Sean McDevitt, Braintree, Massachusetts. Partner at Arthur D Little and a member of the TIME (Telecommunications, Internet, Media, and Electronics) and Private Equity branch since 2017.

Warren Mickens, Denver, Colorado. Retired Vice President of CenturyLink Communications and former Vice President of Nokia/Alcatel-Lucent.

Jocelyn Moore, Nyack, New York. Independent director on the board of DraftKings, a publicly traded technology company; OppFi, a publicly traded financial technology company; and Omaze, a private entertainment and media company.

Secretary Raimondo appointed Ms. Keisha Lance Bottoms as Board Chair for a two-year term. “Ms. Bottoms is a visionary leader known for her impactful governance and focus on equity. Her strong stewardship and vision will greatly benefit the Board. I am confident that under her leadership, the new Board will continue to successfully deploy FirstNet across the country and effectively serve our first responders.”

“Congratulations and a warm welcome to Chair Keisha Lance Bottoms and the new and returning FirstNet Board members,” said Alan Davidson, Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information and NTIA Administrator. “These appointments reflect the diverse viewpoints and needs of FirstNet’s 6.1 million public safety users nationwide.”  

“I would also like to extend my gratitude to our outgoing chair, Fire Chief Richard Carrizzo, for his dedicated service to the FirstNet Authority and the public safety community,” Davidson said. “Chief Carrizzo has been an invaluable member of the Board, and his leadership has helped build a strong foundation for the FirstNet Authority. Thanks to him and our other outgoing board members for their dedicated service.”

Background:

The First Responder Network Authority is an independent entity within the Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). The FirstNet Authority’s mission is to ensure the building, deployment, and operation of the nationwide public safety broadband network that equips first responders to save lives and protect U.S. communities. In March 2017, the Department of Commerce and FirstNet announced a partnership with AT&T to build and operate the first responder network. It is delivering the technologies and infrastructure that public safety relies on for day-to-day operations, disaster response and recovery, and securing of large events.

The Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012 created the FirstNet Authority, and Congress directed that it be governed by a 15-person Board, with the U.S. Attorney General, the Secretary of Homeland Security, and the Director of the Office of Management and Budget named as permanent Board members. Congress charged the Secretary of Commerce with selecting the remaining 12 non-permanent members.

Read the full report from the U.S. Department of Commerce: Read More